Participate in Downtown Seattle Association

How does downtown need to evolve to accommodate the growing number of families living here? What can we do to support a thriving retail sector?

Why is the pedestrian experience so important?

These are just a few questions DSA members will tackle when they take advantage of our new line-up of task forces, committees and events, starting this fall.

We’ve revamped our involvement opportunities to better meet the needs of our members. Rather than a few committees focused on big topics, we’re offering a wide variety of task forces, roundtables and sounding boards that will focus on more specific areas of interest. You’ll get a chance to roll up your sleeves and work side-by-side with DSA leaders and other members on the projects and issues facing downtown and the city. You’ll gain access to information and help influence our work on transportation, economic development and the urban experience.

We’ve also got a full slate of member events scheduled, including our City Maker Breakfast Series, a new DSA Young Professionals Group, and DSAccess, your behind-the-scenes connection to the projects and people shaping downtown and our city.

Below are descriptions of our many participation opportunities, along with links to express your interest. Thank you for helping us deliver on our mission of creating a healthy, vibrant downtown.

TASK FORCES

Family-friendly Downtown
DSA is committed to ensuring a welcoming downtown for families. This task force will work with key partners to help ensure a thriving urban core that supports the needs of downtown families, including siting a public elementary school in downtown Seattle.

Meeting times/frequency: Six times per year

Membership: Open to all DSA members, first-come basis

Downtown Wayfinding & Pedestrian Experience
In keeping with our goal of creating a great public realm, DSA will convene a task force to oversee and influence the City’s work to create a unified wayfinding system for downtown. This group will act as a sounding board and provide guidance at key milestones in the City’s effort to create wayfinding design guidelines.

Meeting times/frequency: Four times per year

Membership: Open to all DSA members, first-come basis

Ground-floor Retail & Cultural Vitality
This group will evaluate the retail and cultural health of downtown and look at policies and research that help create a vibrant 24/7 downtown. Retail case studies and updated design guidelines for downtown ground-floor retail will be developed by this group.

Meeting times/frequency: Four times per year

Membership: Open to all DSA members, first-come basis

Local Improvement District
In partnership with Building Owners and Managers of Seattle and the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks, DSA will convene downtown property owners and representatives to review the LID formation process and studies, and provide guidance to the City on issues or concerns as they arise.

Meeting times/frequency: As needed

Membership: Open to all DSA members who own/represent property in downtown

Third Avenue
With major planning efforts afoot, there is a renewed interest in improving the Third Avenue corridor. DSA plans to establish a public/private Third Avenue Task Force to oversee near-term improvements and develop a long-term vision for this important downtown corridor.

Meeting times/frequency: Six times per year

Membership: Open to all DSA members, first-come basis

Residents Council Steering Committee
DSA’s Residents Council provides a forum for resident members to connect, advocate for and work together on issues and projects of common interest. The Residents Council is represented by a 20-person steering committee that acts as a sounding board for residential issues.

Meeting times/frequency: Eight times per year

Membership: DRC members may apply

ROUNDTABLES, COMMITTEES & SOUNDING BOARDS

Communications & Marketing Roundtable
This group of communications and marketing professionals from DSA companies meets quarterly to share information, learn about what’s going on at DSA, and provide feedback on various DSA projects and initiatives.

Meeting times/frequency: Four times per year

Membership: Open to DSA members in communications, marketing, sales and related fields

MID Clean & Safe Committee
This committee of Metropolitan Improvement District ratepayers receives updates on what our Clean, Safe and Outreach teams are doing to support ratepayers within the MID. Members will be asked to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement.

Meeting times/frequency: Six times per year

Membership: Open to MID Ratepayers (seeking a minimum of 20 participants per meeting)

Parks & Public Space Committee
The Parks and Public Space Committee will ensure that our work in the public realm is coordinated, cohesive and collaborative as we seek to take care of persistent troubled areas, improve high-traffic, high-impact spaces, and expand our work in downtown urban parks.

Meeting times/frequency: Two times per year

Membership: Open to all DSA members

Pike Pine: Act One Sounding Board
The City is investing $20 million to design and construct pedestrian improvements along Pike and Pine Streets. To ensure appropriate community and stakeholder input, the sounding board reviews designs and provides feedback on elements of the design and key priorities.

Meeting times/frequency: Four times per year

Membership: Stakeholders along Pike and Pine by invitation only (not restricted to DSA members)

Membership Recruiting & Stewardship Committee
This committee recruits new members and assists with stewardship of current DSA members. If you have sales experience and a passion for our work at DSA, we want to hear from you.

City Maker Breakfast Series
Over a light breakfast, we’ll explore issues impacting downtown and the broader city. Guests will have time for networking and Q&A. These events include a small registration fee.Meeting times/frequency: Monthly, September-December and March-May

President’s Roundtables
Our popular President’s Roundtables are monthly conversations with DSA President and CEO Jon Scholes. Roundtable guests are encouraged to share a bit about their organization/company, offer their thoughts and observations about downtown and ask questions of DSA leaders.Meeting times/frequency: Ten per year

DSAccess
These events allow special early or unique access for DSA members to the projects, people and information shaping downtown and our city. These events will be limited in capacity and typically include a brief program, a tour, networking and refreshments or a happy hour.Meeting times/frequency: Approximately eight to ten per year

DSA Young Professionals Group
Our YPG event series combines a brief program with networking in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Over light appetizers and drinks, guests will hear from DSA President and CEO Jon Scholes and learn about our latest projects and initiatives from DSA leaders and board members. Our goal is to encourage involvement and develop the next generation of DSA leaders.Meeting times/frequency: Four per year

State of Downtown – Feb. 14, 2018, The Westin Seattle
At this annual breakfast event, held each February, we offer an analysis of downtown’s economic progress over the past year and the trends shaping our evolving center city. Guests hear from DSA President and CEO Jon Scholes and a keynote speaker. In addition to a morning of thought-provoking presentations, guests receive a complimentary copy of our highly anticipated State of Downtown Economic Report, with data collected and analyzed by DSA staff.

DSA/MID Annual Meeting – June 21, 2018, Amazon Doppler Meeting Center
Our annual meeting brings together hundreds of DSA members and MID ratepayers representing a wide variety of industries. This June event includes an annual progress report from DSA President and CEO Jon Scholes, as well as networking, exhibits, music and refreshments before and after the program.

For information on DSA events, please visit our new website at downtownseattle.org/events. We continue to update event details, so check back frequently.